Breaking Down The Walls
by A-BondofFlame-R
Summary: Linebeck shot him down.  He refused to accept the way he felt, but...we all know how determined Link is, don't we?  Short little fluff piece of slash.


**Whoohoo, more Linkbeck fiction! Yeah! Seriously, there's a genuine lack of them...**

Link stared silently at his friend. He'd just completed the hardest task he'd ever had. Oh yes, that's right, dear audience.

Our hero, Link, the courageous Hero of Winds, just confessed love. Not just family love, or friendship love, but a romantic love. And of all people to confess it to, Link had just done so to his Captain. The arrogant, cold, foolish Captain Linebeck.

They both stood on the deck of the S. S. Linebeck as the moon shone down on them, the twinkling stars adding and ethereal glow to everything in sight. A light breeze was present in the late night, where there was nothing but silence, save the faint crashing of waves against the ship's hull. The blond looked bashfully at his own bare feet, twisting the blue fabric of his night clothes in his hands. Linebeck hadn't responded at all to him yet, unless you called him hiding his face in his hair an answer, and every passing second was agony to Link's mind. So he stood silent, with his bottom lip trembling as he bit down nervously on it and his eyes threatening to spill tears.

"Kid...," Linebeck finally breathed, breaking the silence, "No. You don't love me." Link gasped a little as his head shot up, shocked that he could say such a thing. The older man slowly turned on his heel as he made to walk away, but Link shot his hand out as he latched onto another hand. He felt Linebeck freeze beneath his touch, but he refrained from saying anything more.

"How...how can you say that?" Link was astounded at the captain's ignorance. How could...how could he have possibly missed the signs? Of course, Link had tried to be secretive about his feelings toward the older man, but as Ceila not too kindly pointed out to him, he ultimately failed at it. And even if he hadn't missed the signs, how could Linebeck just shoot down his feelings like that?

"You can't possibly love me, kid," was the simple answer. It might have been simple, but it still didn't answer Link's question.

"Why don't you think so, Captain?" he drawled, tone indignant and angry. He couldn't believe how this was happening. Okay, so maybe he wasn't expecting Linebeck to return his feelings and sweep him off his feet and kiss him (though that would have been nice), but he'd at least expected a stuttered apologetic rejection. This was neither, it was just a denial of what Link himself felt. Who was he to tell him how he felt?

"Because. I'm not the loveable type. I'm arrogant, cruel, distant, egotistic, and cowardly. You aren't, and you deserve better." Linebeck said all of this barely above a whisper, but Link could still hear that there was something more behind the statement. There was something the older man just wasn't saying.

"Linebeck, there's something you aren't telling me, isn't there?" he inquired softly, trying to penetrate the cool facade the captain felt the need to put up again. Honestly, Link had seen his nicer, more true side. It came out whenever he returned from a temple and they boarded ship, Linebeck would gaze back at him with this...look, in his eyes before they set sail. Whenever he passed out for the night, he'd wake up and all his wounds would hurt less and they'd have bandages on them. As he scrutinized the older man, Link could even see his resolve break. His stiff posture fell, and his head tilted downward. He heard small, shaky breaths in the cool night air, and though he wanted to ask, Link remained quiet. It was Linebeck's turn to answer.

"How...how could I tell you, that I'm in love with you? You're so young, and you're burdened with so much already... And I don't even know if I could stop with my whole confident image. I've been lying to the world for so long, Link...that I'm not sure I can quit lying to myself. And I don't want to hurt you by being the jerk I am! You hurt so much already...and I...I...," he trailed off, raising his hands to shield his face. Link had already seen the tears, though, and he felt awful. Seeing his captain, his best friend, the man he loved, reduced to tears...and all over him. His guilt increased tenfold as Linebeck shook with his sobs and sank down to his knees, babbling incoherently about Link and pervertedness and society. Feeling his own blue eyes sting with tears, the blond slowly took a step closer and cradled the captain's head between his arms, slowly rocking him.

"Linebeck, I know that your whole 'I'm an arrogant bastard' deal is only because you're afraid. You're afraid of getting hurt, and...and I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. Ever again. Okay Linebeck?" he declared, confidence ringing through every quiet syllable. "And don't think you're hurting me, either. Just...just being here helps me through." Linebeck slowly tore his hands from his face and tilted his head upward to see the boy, tear tracks shining in the moonlight as he rested his hands on slim shoulders.

"Link...I...are you sure? That you'd be okay with being with...me? You know how I can get sometimes..." he trailed off sheepishly, eliciting a slight giggle from the blond. Smiling, Link moved on hand to he cheek and cupped it softly.

"Yeah, I think I'll be able to put up with you as long as you'll put up with me." His captain smiled, an ever so slight raise of the corners of his mouth, as he stood. Linebeck kept his hands on Link's shoulders as he crouched to be at eye level with him, gazing deeply at the shimmering pools of sapphire.

"Of course I'll put up with ya, treasure dog. I have this far, haven't I?" he teased, flicking the nub of Link's nose as he chuckled.

"Alright then, Captain. Oh, and by the way, I have a treasure for you." He watched as the older man's brow's came together, as he shook his head laughing.

"Oh, really? And why did you feel the need to bring this up NOW, of all times?" Link smirked as Linebeck took the bait. He raised his hands back up to his face, grasping both cheeks and pulling them closer.

"Because it wouldn't have been of any value until now," he breathed, amused when the understanding flash gleamed in his captain's green eyes as he leaned in. Slowly, he pushed their lips together in a chaste, tender kiss that had been long awaited by both parties. He felt Linebeck smile through their kiss, and he pulled away only because of the need of oxygen.

"Well, Link, I'm certainly going to be needing more of those precious treasures. Think you could ever find anymore for this old sea man?" Link pressed himself into Linebeck's chest and felt warm arms wrap around him as he returned the embrace.

"Oh, definitely Captain. There's plenty more for you where that came from."

**Written in all of half an hour. Reviews?**


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